What Friends Are For
by Pinkranger888
Summary: Sydney has a secret. One that she's been keeping for a long, long time. But when it gets serious, will her friends be able to help her?
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Power Rangers or any of the characters so far. They are owned by Disney.**

Sydney Drew wandered the streets of New Tech City aimlessly, thinking about her life in general. Normally, she wouldn't go out this late at night, especially since it was against the rules at SPD, but she couldn't help it. There was so much going on in her life, she didn't know what to think of it. Her secret was still unknown to her teammates and she intended to keep it that way. If they found out about what was happening to her and what had been happening to her, then they would only make things worse. She didn't want that.

" Maybe I should tell them..." she whispered to herself while she was walking past a diner that was still open. " No. They can't know. They can never know."

Looking down at the bruises on her arm, she sighed. It wasn't right what he did to her. She was a grown woman for God's sake! Yet, he still continued on doing it. Syd couldn't tell him to stop though... If she did, he would make her hurt more, and he would be ashamed of her.

" I guess I should be getting back." Syd murmered. As the Pink Ranger made her way back to SPD Headquarters, she thought about all the times this had happened...and all the times she could have stopped it.

* * *

" Syd!" Z yelled as she made her way over to her teammate.

Syd smiled. She and Z had become good friends over the last couple of months. " I'm here!"

" You ready for this? I mean, I know we run the obstacle course all the time, but it never gets old."

" I know what you mean!" Syd laughed. " Let's go over to the guys."

Z and Syd made their way over to Sky, Jack, and Bridge, who were all standing near the beginning of the course.

" Syd? Isn't it a little hot to be wearing long sleeves and sweatpants?" Jack questioned. It was a pretty hot day in New Tech CIty, and everyone else was in a t-shirt and shorts. It made the Red Ranger a little suspicious.

Syd's eyes went wide. She didn't think anyone would ask her any questions. " I...ummm...it's..." she stuttered. Everyone looked straight at her. " I wanted to make a fashion statement!" She hoped they all believed her because she didn't have any other excuse.

" Makes sense to me!" Z finally said. " Whatever you wanna do Syd."

The Pink Ranger sighed in relief. They bought it. She made her way over to the course, the others following. No matter how much her body told her not to do the course, she had to do it to avoid suspicion. It was the only way her secret would remain a secret.

* * *

_Please review! I know it was a short chapter, but it's only the beginning. Don't be afraid to tell me if you didn't like it or anything. Be honest. Thanks again!_

_Pinkyy_


	2. Chapter 2

Bridge knew something was up with his teammate. She just wasn't acting normal lately. Yeah, she was still bubbly, fun Syd, but she hadn't been hanging out with the team as much as she used to. The Green Ranger didn't have to read her aura to know she was hiding something. He didn't wanna confront her about just yet, but he was afraid if he didn't, she would just become more secluded as time went on.

" Hey Bridge." Jack said as he entered the common room.

" Hey. What are you doing up this late?" Bridge asked. It was nearly 12:00 and everybody on campus was supposed to be sleeping.

" Couldn't sleep." Pressing the button for hot chocolate, Jack turned to face his friend. " Bridge, have you been noticing something weird going on with Syd?"

" Actually, yeah. She's hiding something from us. I just don't know what it is."

" Hmmm. I'm worried about her."

" Me too." Bridge said. " Me too."

* * *

Sydney was awakened by Z turning on the shower in their bathroom. She groaned, her body already protesting against her. She hurt like hell, to tell the truth.

" Did I wake you up?" Z asked when she stepped out of the bathroom.

" Yeah, but it's okay. I need to get up anyway." Slowly, Syd sat up on her bed and stretched, almost immediately regretting it. She winced, quietly cursing herself for thinking that doing so wouldn't hurt. Z noticed this.

" You hurt that much from the course yesterday?" She watched the Pink Ranger get up and walk to her closet.

" Umm, yeah. I guess I need to work out a little more." She flashed Z a quick smile before looking through her clothes to find something to wear that day. It was the Rangers' day off. Well, technically. If they got a call, they had to go out and defend the Earth, but other than that, they were free to do what they pleased.

Z shrugged, making her way back into the bathroom. She'd have a talk with the team later.

* * *

Sky heard Syd's cell phone go off once they started to walk to the park across the street from Headquarters. He saw her check the Caller ID, which made her eyes go wide. Sky watched as she answered the phone slowly, paced back and forth, and then nodded her head. She looked as if she was gonna cry.

" Syd, is everything okay?" Jack asked as she made her way back over to the rest of them.

" Yeah, but I gotta go. I have to...be somewhere." She told him. Syd was avoiding eye contact with any of her friends, afraid they would see the fear in her eyes. Quickly, she turned around and ran back to Base, where she made her way to the parking garage.

" Well, that was a little weird." Bridge muttered. All of the other Rangers nodded their heads in agreement as they watched the Pink Ranger drive out of the garage in her Silver Dodge Nitro. She hadn't even told her friends where she was off to. Now, they were even more concerned about her.

As she drove along the road that led her to her destination, Syd couldn't help but feel worried. She just saw him yesterday! She should've just stayed with her friends. I mean, she could've refused to even come. But deep inside, she knew she had to do what he wanted, even if it meant her getting hurt.

* * *

" Where is she?!" He yelled angrily. He wanted her and he wanted her now.

" Calm down. She'll be here." His partner said quietly. He was drunk...again.

Just then, the front door opened, and Sydney stepped inside.

" There you are! You took way too long!" He stormed over to her and grabbed her by the arm, hard. She cryed out in pain as he dragged her over to the couch. _This is it, _she thought. He threw her to the ground, where she hit her head and blacked out for a minute or so. The whole time, his partner just sat there, knowing this was so wrong, but unable to do anything about it. So, watching was the only thing they were capable of doing. Watching, as he beat her senselessly, as she cried out in pain.

Syd awoke hours later. She hurt all over. Looking down, her body looked as if she was covered in blue and black marker. The bruises were all over, the scratches were still bleeding. Instantly, she broke down and cried. And cried. And cried. She couldn't let him do this anymore. She just couldn't.

_I know, I know. It's still not a long chapter at all. Don't punish me for it! Hehe. It may be a little confusing, but ask me any questions if you want to. If I don't get at least 4 reviews, I won't update, so drop a review!_

Pinkyy


	3. Chapter 3

_Thanks for reviewing! Here's chapter 3!_

Sky stood in his room, punching his punching bag, and wondering what Sydney was hiding. Yeah, he knew she was hiding something, but to everyone else, he knew nothing. He was going to ask her when they were alone. Maybe if she only told him, it wouldn't be as embarassing. _Maybe it's just something silly, _Sky thought, but deep down he knew it wasn't. It was serious. And it was bothering the heck out of the Pink Ranger. He punched the bag harder. _What if she's sick?_, he thought. He punched the bag even harder. Right as he was about to roundhouse kick the darned thing, Bridge stepped into the room.

" Sorry to interupt!" Bridge said, heading to his green bed. " I just wanted to lay down for a bit."

Sky sighed. He was getting tired anyway. " It's alright, Bridge. I was pretty much done." His bed looked comfy right about now, and there was no harm in taking a nap, was there?

" Sky?" Bridge said, looking over at the blue clad man to his left.

" Yeah?" Sky mumbled.

" Have you noticed there's something wrong with Syd?"

Sky's eyes opened wide. " No." He lied.

" Oh. Okay then." Apparently, Bridge wasn't going to give him any details whatsoever. He watched as the psychic got up, stretched, and entered the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Of course Sky knew something was wrong! _I just have to figure out what it is..._he told himself, and he was going to sooner or later. He hoped it would be sooner.

Taking a break from talking to himself (it was getting a little weird), he looked around his room. His side was nice and neat, exactly what you would expect of him. _Do I want someone to expect that of me?_ he thought. " No. I don't." Sky said sternly. So, he got up, looked around, and took some clothes out of his hamper. Throwing them on the ground in front of his bed, he felt satisfied. Smiling to himself, he went back to his bed. _That's spontaneous enough for me_, he resolved. When Bridge finally came out of the bathroom, he walked straight to his bed and sat down, not even noticing Sky's "mess". Sky grunted. Who cared if someone noticed it... Actually, he did.

* * *

Climbing into her car, Sydney tried not to get water on the seats. She looked up, noticing how the rain was coming down harder than it was before. " Great," she muttered. Sitting down, she tried not to hurt herself that much. Mission not accomplished. Her body ached all over, from head to toe. Bruises lined her stomach, arms, and even legs. Her lip was busted, very noticeable. _Oh crap! How am I gonna hide that?_, she thought. Putting her thoughts aside for now, she turned on the car, put it in gear, and backed out of the driveway, glad to get away from that place.

" I hope the guys don't know something is up..." Syd mumbled to herself, just as her cell phone rang. She picked it up, noting that the Caller ID said Z. " Hello?"

_"Syd! Where are you? It's been, like, forever since you left." said Z._

Syd smiled, kinda glad that someone cared. Looking at her watch, she noticed that Z was right. " Yeah, I know. I just had to..." she paused. What did she have to do? " I had to get my car cleaned!"

_" Okay... On your day off? While it's raining?"_

" I didn't know it was gonna rain Z! And besides, the place only had this spot open and I totally forgot about the appointment and so they had to call me and remind me." Syd hoped she sounded convincing. She bit her lip, waiting for an answer, automatically regretting it since her lip was busted.

_" Well, I guess that makes sense."_ There was a pause._ " Are you coming home now? Cause me and Bridge wanna have a movie night and it's not movie night without you!"_

Laughing, Syd said, " Yeah, I'm on my way now. What movie are we watching?"

_" Well there's a couple we wanna watch. Bridge wants to watch Indiana Jones, I wanna watch Jumper, and you get to pick one, cause I guess we're watching all three."_

" Alright! Sounds good to me." Syd could hear Bridge yelling something in the background.

_" Bridge wants me to tell you to hurry up." _Z laughed. _" We'll get everything ready. It'll be good to go by the time you get here."_

" That's awesome. Listen, I'm driving so I don't wanna talk on the phone at the same time. Talk to you later. Bye." She didn't even let Z say goodbye. She had to figure out a way to cover up her lip by the time she got back to SPD. _I could always say I fell or something..._she thought,_ but that's still a little too suspicious._ She shrugged it off for now. She had plenty of time before she got back. Instead, she turned up the radio just in time to hear her favorite song at the moment. Singing along to " U + Ur Hand," it felt like all her worries just lifted off of her. She even forgot about her lip.

* * *

Shutting her car door, Syd ran for the SPD entrance. It was still raining. Now there was lightning and thunder to go along with it. Once she was safe inside, she headed right to her room, passing Sky on her way.

" Syd?" Sky questioned before the blonde could walk away.

Smiling, she replied, " Yeah?"

" What happened to your lip?" He looked her over. She was soaking wet, for one thing. And the other thing he noticed was her lip.

Syd felt her lip. Darn! She had totally forgot about it. " I fell. The ground was slippery, and there was a puddle and I didn't see it. Clumsy, huh?" She hoped her excuse was believable.

Sky nodded, not believing one word she said. " Oh. Nice going Pinky."

" Hey!" She yelled, swatting his arm. " I'm gonna go get changed and meet Bridge and Z in the lounge. Later Sky." She said, heading down the hallway that led to her room.

Now Sky knew for a fact that something was up, but he still didn't know what.

* * *

_Not much action, I know... But still review cause I'm not gonna update until I get 3 more!_

_Pinkyy_


	4. Chapter 4

The next day, the Rangers got called out to save the city. The alien they were fighting was a weird one. It called itself Vacuumon, which, the Rangers were guessing, was because it looked like a mutant vacuum. It was creepy, actually... One of the creepiest vacuums Syd had ever seen. As the fight went on, Syd could feel her strength fading. She was trying so hard to keep going, but it was killing her inside. Every hit she took, it felt like she just got hit by a car.

Kicking the monster in the back, she felt as if she was falling apart. Suddenly, Vacuumon got back up, catching Sydney off guard. Taking out his sword, he hit the Pink Ranger so hard across the chest, she flew to the ground and demorphed. It hurt her so bad, she was actually crying.

" Syd!" Sky yelled, dodging the over-sized vacuum, and making his way over to her. When he reached her, he was surprised to find that she was crying. " Are you okay Sydney?"

She kept her arm to her chest, holding it. " Y-yeah. I'm f-ine." Syd gasped, trying to sit up, but falling to the ground again.

" Are you-" Sky started...

" Sky!! We need you out here!" Z screamed.

" Coming!" Sky hesitated, looking down at the hurt Pink Ranger who's head was in his lap.

" Go." She told him.

" But Syd..." He said. She gave him a stern look. " Alright, but stay here and relax. We can handle this by ourselves." Then, he got up and went to join the fight. So, Syd sat there, her back up against the wall of a building she just realized was there, crying because of the pain.

By the time the fight was done and over with, the zords were put away, and the monster was destroyed, Syd was done crying. The other Rangers ran over to her, all of them talking at once.

" Woah! Guys, can you not all talk at once? I have a..." She winced. Letting out a deep breath, she continued, " a major headache." As Sydney was holding her head in her hands, Bridge bent down and squeezed her shoulder. Startled, she looked up.

" Are you feeling okay?" Bridge was kneeling next to her now, holding her hand. Syd knew he was worried about her.

She nodded her head, even though she felt horrible. Even though that gesture suggested that she felt fine, her friends knew she was lying.

" Syd... You're not alright and we know it." Jack stated.

" Yes I am!" Syd retorted, managing to stand up.

" No you're not!"

" God damnit Jack! I'm fine!" And with that, she walked, rather limped, away from everybody, and back to the Jeep.

" What's her problem?" Jack asked.

" Calm down Bro... She's just very emotional and hurt right now. I'll go talk to her. We'll see you three back at Base." Z replied, walking towards the Jeep where Syd was sitting in the passenger seat.

" We should just give her space." Bridge reasoned.

" But we have to see if she's okay. Or take her to the infirmary." Sky objected.

" We'll tell Cruger when we get back. He'll make her go." Jack said, heading for his cycle. Bridge sighed, heading for his also. Sky took one last look at the Jeep, then headed off.

* * *

As Z got to the Jeep, she saw Syd cradling her wrist against her body. Syd was silently crying, that Z knew. " Syd?" She whispered quietly.

The Pink Ranger looked up slowly, wiping her tears with her left hand. " Yeah?"

" I think there's something wrong with your wrist."

" I know... I think it's fractured or something."

" Oh... Maybe you should go to the infirmary when we get back... It would help a lot."

" I'm okay, really. I don't need-" Z gave Syd a pleading look. " Fine. I'll go to the infirmary, but only for my wrist."

Z was satisfied. At least she got somewhere. Starting the car, the two girls were off to their home, the SPD Base.

During the car ride, neither of them said a word. Z didn't know what to say, and Syd didn't want to say anything. She really had nothing to say. The pain riveting through her body was intense, but she had to hide it. She just had to.

* * *

Pulling up to the Base, Z said, " Right to the infirmary, okay?"

Syd sighed. Her wrist WAS killing her, and she didn't want to risk getting in a fight with her best friend. " Alright. But I'll go by myself. You just go to the room and we'll watch a movie of something. Got it?"

Z agreed, not wanting to make Syd mad. " Got it."

The two stepped out of the vehicle, Syd a little slower than the Yellow Ranger. Z waited patiently. If she wasn't gonna go with Syd to the infirmary, she at least wanted to walk her most of the way. Looking around, she realized that the guys had gotten back way before them. Knowing the other Rangers, they were all sitting in the lounge waiting for the girls to arrive. Smiling, Z saw Syd appear at her side, and silently the two made their way inside. Once inside, everyone in the corridor was staring at them like they were zombies. _They probably know what happened,_ Z thought to herself.

" People like staring, don't they?" Syd whispered.

Z chuckled. " Just ignore them. They need to mind their own business." She said the last part extra loud, so all the people in the room heard. Almost immediately, all heads were turned away from the two Rangers. " Works every time."

* * *

Sky was pacing the room like there was no tomorrow. He was worried. No. He was extremely worried. It was not like Syd to start crying in the middle of a fight. Syd really didn't cry at all. The only person she really told her feelings to was Z, and that was only because the rest of the team was of another gender.

" Sky!" Jack yelled, while Sky glared at him. "Stop pacing the stupid floor and sit down or something."

Sky grumbled, but he obeyed the Red Ranger. When Z appeared at the entrance, Sky almost tackled her.

" Is she okay?" Bridge asked first.

Z just grinned. " She'll be fine. I think it's just some bruises and scrapes. But I'm pretty sure she broke her wrist."

" What?!" Sky replied.

" She needs to go to the infirmary. Right now." Jack said, making his way out of the room.

" Jack! What are you doing?" Z asked.

Jack looked at her as if she just asked the most simple question in the world. " What do you think I'm doing? I'm gonna go tell Cruger to make sure she goes and makes sure the doctor checks out her wrist."

" But she already went."

" What?" Bridge said, almost shocked. " She already went? But she said she wasn't going to..."

" Well, I asked her to and she agreed. I walked her there myself."

Sky thought that over. Would Syd so easily volunteer to go get her wrist checked out when just an hour ago she said she wouldn't? He didn't know. She was so unpredictable! He was able to guess that Z and Syd had a good talk. It must have been good for Syd to listen to the brunette.

* * *

As the doctor looked over her right wrist, Syd hoped he wouldn't see the bruises she had hidden. But she could just say they were from the fight, couldn't she? While she was thinking this over, the doctor was getting stuff ready to put a cast on the injured part of her body.

" Sydney?" Dr.Felix asked.

" Yes?" She said, finally done with her thoughts.

" I'm afraid your right wrist is broken. I'm going to put a cast on it to heal it. Now, I'm guessing you want it to be pink?"

Syd sighed. " Of course Doctor." For him, she smiled slightly.

After applying the cast, he asked, " Is there anything else that you want me to look over? Anything else that hurts?"

" Ummm. I don't think so, but thanks. I really appreciate it." Syd told him, getting up.

" Are you sure Ms.Drew?" He asked again.

She looked at him, then at her wrist. " I'm sure. Thanks again." And with that, she walked out the door, leaving the doctor in silence.

* * *

Walking through her bedroom door, Syd smoothed down her hair. She needed a shower, and fast. She found Z on her bed, reading a magazine. It was obvious the girl had already taken her shower.

" Hey. I see you got a cast. Nice color." Z smiled.

For her sake, Syd smiled back. " I like the color. It fits me." Z laughed.

" I'm gonna take a shower. I feel so dirty."

Hesitantly, Z asked, " Syd? Is there something you wanna tell me? I mean, something that you don't wanna tell the others?"

Turning her back to Z, Syd wished so much she could tell her. But she knew she couldn't. It was too risky. " Uh, no. You know I would tell you Z. There's nothing to tell."

Z wasn't convinced, but she decided to drop the subject. As Syd entered the bathroom and shut the door, Z knew the other girl was hurting more than she was letting on.

As soon as Syd was out of the shower and dressed, the two decided they would watch a movie. Heading to the lounge, Z watched as Syd held her stomach as she walked.

" Syd! You're okay!" Bridge jumped up from the couch and ran over to the younger girl. Catching her in a hug, he heard her gasp. " Oh my gosh! I'm sorry." He said, letting go of her.

" It's okay Bridge." She told him, smiling a little.

" I'm glad you're okay Syd." Sky said from his place on the couch.

" Thanks Sky." She replied.

She didn't even look at Jack. He yelled at her earlier, and that had scared her. She hated being yelled at. **He **always yelled at her, before the beatings came. Even sometimes during the beatings.

" Syd?" Jack asked, coming over to her. " Look, I'm sorry."

She couldn't face him. She couldn't forgive him. Not yet. Turing away from him, he grabbed her arm where one of her old bruises was. " Ow! Let go! It hurts!" She pulled away from him. He could see the small tears falling from her baby blue eyes.

" Syd, I'm-" He began.

" Leave me alone!" She yelled, then ran out of the room. Everyone just stood there, shocked.

" I'll go talk to her." Z said, jogging from the room.

" I didn't mean to hurt her..." Jack said, feeling really guilty.

" I know Jack..." Bridge muttered. " We know."

* * *

_It's longer! Well, not a lot happened, but I thought it was an okay chapter. Tell me what you think! Please review! Thanks!_

_Pinkyy_

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

_Thanks to all the reviewers! I know it's been a while, but here's the next chapter. Enjoy!_

Sydney still ignored Jack as best as she could, but she knew sooner or later the Commander would find out and ask her what was wrong. He hurt her. He yelled at her. How could she just ignore that? Maybe he didn't mean it, but that didn't mean that she wanted to forgive the Red Ranger anytime soon... There weren't a lot of attacks lately, so the Rangers just spent most of the time watching t.v. or going out. Sydney spent most of her time with Z, only talking to Sky and Bridge occasionally. Jack just moped around, sometimes trying to talk to Syd, but she would always leave the room. He felt really guilty about what he did, but maybe she was overreacting just a little bit.

" Syd?" Sky asked.

The Pink Ranger was drinking some of her herbal tea and reading a magazine. Turning around to face him, she said " Yeah?"

" Do you wanna come with us to the park? We're gonna play soccer or something."

" Who else is going?"

" Ummm... Me, Bridge, Z, and Jack. Sam might come too.."

Syd couldn't deal with Jack right now. Actually, she didn't want to deal with anyone. " I don't think so Sky. I might just go lay down for a while."

Sky was disappointed." You know Jack's sorry about what he did. He didn't mean it Syd!"

She sighed. " Maybe he didn't, but I wanna be alone right now, okay?"

He looked into her eyes and saw total sadness. He wished he could help make everything better for the blonde, but she wouldn't let him in. She wouldn't let anyone in. " Okay... See you later.." With that, he walked from the room. Watching him walk out, Sydney started silently crying. She wanted to trust her friends, she really did, but she didn't know who she could trust anymore.

Getting up from the couch, her cell phone rang. Taking it out of her pocket, her eyes widened at the name she saw on the Caller I.D. She couldn't see him now! But deep inside, she knew she had to, because if she didn't, he would do stuff a lot worse. Looking to see if anyone else was around, she opend her phone. " Hello?"

_" Where the hell are you?!" He asked menacingly._

She gulped, " I'm at work..."

_" I need you here! Now!"_

" But..." She knew it was no use protesting. " Okay. I'll..I'll be there soon"

_" You better be, because if you're not, I'll kill you once I get my hands on you! You here me?!"_

" Yes." Quickly, she hung up her phone and made her way to the garage. Getting in her car, she hoped that it wouldn't be that bad this time.

After talking to Syd, Sky made his way outside to where his friends were waiting. Sam had decided to join the Rangers, saying that they had to go easy on him. They all knew that wasn't going to happen.

" She coming?" Z asked.

" No..." Sky murmered. Once he reached the others, he saw Jack bow his head.

" Why isn't Syd coming?" Sam questioned innocently. There was so much he didn't know.

" She's...sick. Sounds like a cold to me." Sky answered, giving the younger boy a little smile.

" Oh."

" Sam, why don't you go wait in the Jeep?" Z said. Nodding, Sam took off towards the Jeep's direction.

" Why doesn't she really wanna come?" Bridge asked the Blue Ranger.

Sky sighed. " She said she just wanted to be alone..."

" Maybe I should go talk to her." Jack said quietly.

" Jack, I know you want to, but she's not gonna listen. I'm sorry Bro.." Z told him, while putting her hand on his shoulder.

" Yeah, I know..."

" Let's just go to the park and check on her later, okay?" Bridge said, trying to lighten the mood.

" Alright." Sky agreed. Then, the four of them walked towards Sam and the Jeep he was sitting in. Getting in the car, they were off to the park. Just a few minutes after they left, Sydney drove out of the garage and started on her way to her destination.

_

* * *

_

Maybe I should just go back to Base... Maybe I should just tell them..

Syd thought. Looking at herself in the mirror, she could see the dark circles under her eyes that weren't there before. She really hadn't been sleeping much the past few weeks. _No... I just have to keep it a secret..._ She was looking out the front window when her cell phone rang again. Slowly, she took it out and looked at the screen. Sighing, she rejected the call. Z was just trying to check up on her, and she knew it, but now was not the time to be chatting with her friend.

* * *

After getting Sydney's voicemail, Z hung up her phone. She just wanted to make sure the Pink Ranger was feeling okay. Z knew more than a cold was bothering her best friend, but asking her about it wouldn't do any good.

" Z! Come on!" Sam yelled.

Smiling, Z walked over to where the others were standing. They decided on playing soccer to pass the time. There were two teams: Sky, Z, and Sam vs. Jack and Bridge. Yeah, the game wasn't fair, but they did have an odd number to deal with. Bridge threw the ball in, and the game began. It turns out that Sam was actually pretty good for his age. Jack, on the other hand, wasn't. In the first couple of minutes, Sam scored a goal. He got the ball past Bridge, who was the goalee. As Z, Sky, Sam cheered, Jack was talking to Bridge about how he should be the goalee, seeing as how the Green Ranger was better at scoring. Bridge reluctantly agreed, running to the middle of the field, where the others were smiling and laughing. The game started again, none of the players wanting to go back to work anytime soon.

* * *

On the highway, Syd thought about what she said to Sky. She didn't want to hurt him, but it was the only way. If she didn't listen to **his** commands, her friends were guaranteed to die. He said it himself, and she was sure he could do it. She loved her friends more than anything. They were her family! At first, she and Z didn't get along too well, but now, she was Syd's best friend. Being the only girls on the squad made them realize that it was best just to get along... Thinking about her friends, Sydney almost missed the exit she needed to take. She thought about just going straight, not getting off at the exit, and avoiding all of the pain that was ahead of her. _Who am I kidding? If I don't go, he'll hurt the others, or worse. I can't risk that, I just can't. _Instead of going straight, she got off onto Exit 36, the one she needed to go down. Looking out of the window, she took deep breaths over and over again. Maybe this time would be different...

* * *

Time passed as the other Rangers were playing soccer at a nearby park. The score was 10-5, the leading team being Sam, Sky, and Z. Jack was getting the hang of it though... He seemed to be a better goalee than the other position he started the game off with.

" We are so kicking your butts!" Z shouted at Jack and Bridge. Sky and Sam laughed while Jack just smirked.

" Whatever! Just wait until next time! I'll be ready..." Jack replied. The game was just about ending because they had to get back to base. None of them wanted to go. They were having too much fun! But rules were rules, as much as they weren't wanted. Grabbing the soccer ball, Sky made his way to the Jeep. Putting the ball in the back, he looked at the sunset. It was breathtaking. The oranges mixed with the reds and pinks and purples, all forming one amazing painting. Sighing, he jumped into the seat he had chosen, which happened to be shotgun. Z wouldn' let anyone else drive her and Syd's Jeep. It was the girls' and nobody objected to that.

* * *

Miles away, Sydney Drew was looking at the same sunset the Blue Ranger had just been admiring. She had parked her car in the driveway of her destination, but she had trouble getting out of it. Wiping her forehead, she looked over to the colorful view. It was absolutely beautiful. She smiled a little bit before finding some hidden courage, and stepping out of the vehicle. Walking up to the front door, she put on a brave face. Not needing to knock, she just let herself in. It was actually pretty quiet. Syd looked around quickly. No one in sight. Yet. Making her way towards the stairs, she heard a noise coming from the living room. Turning around, she screamed. It was him, and he scared the hell out of her just then! He reached out, grabbed her wrist, and dragged her to the living room.

" Do you know how long I have been waiting?!" He screamed at her.

Sydney gulped. " No..."

" A long damn time!" With that, he threw her down on the sofa which resided on the right hand side of the room. It didn't hurt much, but she had landed on her wrist. Whimpering, she held it to her chest. Sitting up, Syd looked at him, only to be met with a punch to her chin. The Pink Ranger rolled off of the sofa, connecting with the hardwood floor of the house. Trying to get up, she lifted her hand to her mouth, wiping some blood from her lips.A hard kick to her stomach made her cry out in pain. She was crying and she knew it. She had tryed to be strong, but this was too much for her, even with her being a Power Ranger.

* * *

Getting back to Base, the Rangers headed to the lounge for some smoothies. Bridge reached it first, expecting Syd to be sitting in one of the chairs or something. She wasn't. The others came into the room expecting the same thing, only to be disappointed.

" I'll go check our room real quick and get her to come out here and hang with us." Z said, jogging out of the room. Opening her door, Z was surprised not to find the Pink Ranger asleep in her bed or something. Confused, Z looked in the bathroom. Syd wasn't there either. Deciding to go and tell the guys, Z left her room behind.

" Syd isn't here." Z reported.

" What?" Sky replied.

" She's not in our room either..."

" Let's go ask the Commander. He'll know where she is." Jack suggested. Then, the alarm sounded. Groaning, all four Rangers headed to the Command Center, ready to go out and fight some evil. The missing Syd was pushed to the back of their minds...

* * *

" Stop.." Syd cried as he continued to kick her in the stomach again and again. He picked her up and made her stand on her own.

" What did you say?" He snarled through clenched teeth.

Having a hard time standing on her own, Syd could hardly say anything. Smacking her in the face, he asked her the same question. When she didn't answer, he was about to slap her again when she screamed, " Dad! Stop!"

_How many of you saw that one coming?! Anyway, I need some reviews before I can update again... I hope you know what that means. D Review please!_


	6. Chapter 6

As Sky and the other Rangers got back to the Base, he realized that Syd still wasn't present. The fight that he and the others had endured against one of Grumm's aliens was tough. Eventually, he was defeated and the Rangers reported back to Base. Looking around the Command Center, Sky wondered where the Pink Ranger was...

" Rangers! Where is Cadet Drew? I have been informed that she is no longer on SPD Grounds." Cruger barked.

Gulping, Jack answered, " Well... We're not sure where she is Sir. We haven't seen her since we left for the park this morning..."

Cruger shook his head disapprovingly. Sky didn't want Sydney to get in trouble with the Commander, but what could he do? He thought of covering for her, but couldn't think of a solid story to tell Cruger.

" I'll try to call her, but I'm not sure if she'll pick up." Z volunteered. Taking out her cell phone, she went through her phone book and found Syd's number. Hitting the call button, she turned away from the guys and walked slowly towards the door. The line just kept ringing until eventually she got the blonde's voicemail. Speaking into the phone, the Yellow Ranger said, " Hey Syd, it's Z. I was just wondering where you went. Well, all of us were wondering where you went. I'm worried about you... The Commander's gonna get pretty mad if you don't show up soon." Sighing, Z hung up the phone.

" She didn't answer?" Bridge asked, already knowing the answer.

Z shook her head. " Commander, this isn't like Syd. I think something's wrong."

Cruger looked at all the worried faces of his Rangers. " I agree with you Z...but where could she have gone?"

Everyone looked at each other, trying to figure out where the Pink Ranger might have went.

--

Lying on the ground, Sydney was crying her eyes out. " Dad! Please stop!" All her yelling did nothing. He continued to kick her in the ribs, despite her coughing and pleading. Kicking her in the ribs one final time, he stomped out of the room, leaving Syd on the floor, beaten and bruised. She couldn't sit up or stand. She could hardly move. Deciding that crying wasn't going to help her, she started taking deep breaths. _In, out. In, out._ Thinking those words over and over in her head, she tried to make the pain go away. But, as many people know, it won't just go away instantly. Hearing a sound at the door, she tried to look up, but couldn't quite see.

" Sydney?" It was a quiet, female voice, but Syd knew it immediately.

" Mom?" Sydney croaked, sounding surprised at how horrible her voice sounded. She heard the shuffling of feet, and then saw her mom kneel down and look her over. Doing the same thing to her mom, Syd noticed that she looked horrible too. No doubt that he was hurting her also. Her mom had light blonde hair, like her daughter, but it seemed darker now. Pain was evident in her eyes.

" Oh Sydney! I'm so sorry!" With that, her mom started crying. Syd knew this wasn't her mom's fault, but it just angered her seeing her mom like this. All the years he had been doing this to her, and her mom hadn't stopped it once.

" Why?" Syd whispered, upset. Building up her voice, she continued. " Why did you let him do this to me?! You're my mom for God's sake!" Angry, Syd started to sit up, only to have pain shoot through her body. Letting out an agonizing scream, she fell back down.

" Let me get you to a hospital or something Sweetie. Please..." Her mom told her.

" Okay..." Syd needed something to take the pain away, if only a little. Her mom helped her sit up slowly. Biting her lip, she managed to stand up, leaning on her mother. " Where is he?"

Her mom sighed. " I don't know, but he left and I don't want to be here when he gets back." Mother and daughter made their way out to the Pink Ranger's car. Grabbing the keys out of her pocket, Syd handed them to her mom. Walking around to the passenger side of the car, Patricia ( Syd's mom) helped her daughter sit down in the seat and get comfortable. It killed her seeing how much pain Sydney was in, and that her own husband caused it. _I should have done something a long time ago..._ She shook her head in dismay. Patricia was disappointed in herself. It was pretty much her fault that this kept happening. Shaking the thoughts out of her head, she headed to the driver's side. Getting in, she put the keys in the ignition and started the car up.

" Let's go." Looking over at her daughter, she noticed Syd had lost consciousness. Patricia knew where the best doctor in the whole state was located. SPD's Base in New Tech City, and she knew just how to get there.

--

Sky was pacing back and forth in the Command Center, not paying attention to the other people in the room. The only person his mind was on was Sydney. Sure, they'd been friends for their whole lives, but he never thought he would begin to like her. _Really_ like her. Ever since they were teenagers, Sky always knew he wouldn't find anyone as beautiful as Syd, and he never did. He wanted to tell her his feelings, but what if she didn't feel the same way? What if he embarrassed himself? He didn't know what to think. And now, she was missing and he had no idea where she was. Wherever she went, she didn't want anyone to find her, because she had left her morpher, which included a tracker, behind at the Base. _Where are you Syd?_ He thought. As Sky was pacing, Z sat on the floor, playing with the edge of her sleeve. Syd was her best friend. Z knew for sure that she would've answered the phone if she wasn't in trouble. As much as the Yellow Ranger wanted to believe everything was alright, she knew in the back of her mind that something was really wrong, but she didn't want to say anything for the sake of the other Rangers. Looking over at Bridge, Z sighed. The Green Ranger was trying to figure out where Sydney went. He was looking for her path, as his power enabled him to do that, but so far, he found nothing. Last but not least was Jack. Everyone knew that he blamed himself, even though no one knew where the Pink Ranger got off to.

" It's all my fault… I didn't mean to hurt her… Really." Jack muttered.

" Jack! Stop it. It's not your fault…" Z told him. She knew Syd was mad at him, well, scared of him, but she doubted Syd would run away just because of Jack.

" Yes it is! I hurt her Z! I scared her. She's one of my best friends, and I hurt her." Trailing off at the end of the sentence, Jack was on the verge of tears. Z could see that the Red Ranger was really guilty. She could see that he was hurting, but yet, she couldn't do anything about it.

Seeing Jack act like this, Sky stopped pacing. He'd never seen Jack cry before, or even come close to crying, but this was really affecting him. " Jack, Syd didn't leave because of you. I know it. There's something else… Something she doesn't want us to know about." Sky told the Red Ranger, but also talking to the others. One after the other, everyone nodded their head.

Driving towards the SPD Base, Patricia was thinking about all she could have done for Sydney the past couple years, or her whole life really… Looking over at her daughter, she really loved how her daughter turned out, aside from her family life. _My daughter is a Power Ranger. I am so proud of her. I just wish I could have been a better mother to her. I also wish her father would be normal again…This won't happen anymore, I promise Syd. I should have stopped it a long time ago, but I was afraid. Afraid of him, and what he was capable of. Maybe if I had called the cops and had him arrested, we could have avoided this nightmare for a long time. I can still do it though… He's not going to get away with this, no way. Maybe Cruger will know of something to do with him. One thing I do know is this: Sky will not be happy once he hears about this. _Smiling a little, Patricia let her thoughts ponder Sky for a while. She knew the Blue Ranger liked her daughter. And her daughter like him back, but neither of them knew it.

" Mom?" Startled, Patricia glanced over at Syd, trying to keep her eyes on the road ahead also. Sydney had groaned and moved over towards the door a little bit. A look of pain flashed across her face.

" Sydney? Honey? What's wrong?" She asked her only daughter.

It took about a minute for the blonde to answer the question. " It…it hurts." Syd replied.

" What does Baby?"

" Head…stomach…everything."

With that, Syd once again fell into a deep sleep. Stopping at a red light, Patricia took the time to brush a few stray strands of Syd's hair out of her face. Her daughter was beautiful, she really was. As the light turned green, once again Syd's mom continued on to New Tech City. Nearing the Base, Patricia wondered if she was doing the right thing, going to SPD. Surely she would have to tell the doctors and Cruger the truth, and if she did that, then the Rangers would have to know._ They are the only people right now that I know I can trust…_ Patricia thought. Turning into the Base's parking lot, Patricia looked for any people that were lingering around. She saw a couple people in uniforms walking by the door, but that was it. Parking the car in a spot a little ways from the Base, she unbuckled her seatbelt. Leaning over Syd, she unbuckled the younger girl's seatbelt too. Getting out of the car, she walked around to the passenger's side.

" Syd? It's time to wake up." Shaking the girl a little bit, Patricia saw the Pink Ranger's eyes open. " You have to get out of the car now Hon. We're at the doctor's." Syd shakily got out of the car, almost falling to the ground if it weren't for her mom. Walking slowly towards the doors, mother and daughter took it one step at a time. All of a sudden, Sydney lost consciousness again. Falling, she dragged her mother down with her. Patricia couldn't do this on her own. Grabbing her daughter's cell phone, she realized that Syd had a new voicemail, but ignored it, and instead went through her list of contacts. Finding Sky, she hit the call button and waited until he picked up.

Hearing his phone ring, Sky quickly grabbed it out of his pocket, and his widened at the name on the screen. " It's Syd!" That got everyone's attention. Answering his phone, he said, " Syd?!"

"_Sky. It's Sydney's mother."_

"Patricia? Where's Syd?"

" _She's with me, but I need your help quick. Syd's hurt."_

" Where are you?!" Hearing that Syd was hurt alarmed Sky.

" _I'm right outside the Base, but I can't carry Syd in by myself."_

" I'll be right there!" Closing his phone, Sky told everyone what Patricia had told him, and without a moment's hesitation, all of the Rangers ran out of the Command Center towards the front of the building. Seeing the door in his path, Sky couldn't help but worry about the Pink Ranger. What had happened to her? Was she hurt bad? And who did it? Finally reaching the door, Sky spotted Mrs. Drew leaning over her daughter's body, holding her head on her lap. Exiting SPD's Base, Sky and the others ran towards their fallen friend.

" Syd!" Jack yelled.


	7. Chapter 7

Not bothering to ask Syd's mom what happened, Sky immediately scooped the girl up in his arms and started toward the entrance to the base

Not bothering to ask Syd's mom what happened, Sky immediately scooped the girl up in his arms and started toward the entrance to the base. Looking down at the Pink Ranger, he noticed how pale she looked, but she still looked beautiful to him. He saw how there were bruises on her face, and he guessed there were more on her body also. Maybe she had gotten jumped or something…or maybe she had a run in with one of Grumm's monsters. Sky dismissed that thought though. The other Rangers would have been notified if a monster had attacked. Caught up in his thoughts, Sky didn't even notice that Bridge opened the door for him when he reached the front of the building. He would have to have serious talk with Sydney's mother when he had the chance. Making his way down the many hallways, he became aware of the others following him. He could hear Z trying to talk to Ms. Drew, Jack was talking quietly to Bridge, and they were all trying to keep up with the Blue Ranger himself. Sky was also aware of all the people staring at him in the hallway. It was a pretty horrible sight. The Pink Ranger obviously looked like she had been through hell, and that sparked curiosity in most of the people they passed. In the background, he could hear some of Jack and Bridge's conversation.

"Should we go tell the Commander?" Bridge asked his red clad friend. Sky thought that that might be a good idea, but he really didn't feel like saying it out loud.

"Probably…" Jack replied. He sounded guilty. Sky realized the Red Ranger was still feeling guilty about what he did to Syd a couple of days back. He knew Syd would forgive Jack once she woke up. It wasn't like the blonde to hold a grudge, especially when it was one of her friends she was holding it against.

"You wanna come with me, or should I go by myself? Well, I don't know about that because I wouldn't really be by myself because there are a bunch of people in the building so there would always be someone typically with me, but I don't know if that really counts as being with someone because you're not, like, right beside them actually walking with them or something. So, maybe that question was a little unclear and…"

"Bridge! I get the point! I'll accompany you to the Command Center… Jeez…" Jack sounded relieved that Bridge had stopped talking. He tended to do that a lot. Turning around, he said, "Z? Me and Bridge are going to go tell the Commander and Kat what's happening. Are you alright for now?"

Z was still talking to Syd's mom, but looked away long enough to reply to Jack's question. "Yeah. I'll be fine Jack." With that, Sky saw the Red and Green Rangers take off down another hallway that would lead them to the high-tech Command Center. He knew he was nearing the Infirmary, so he began to admire the Pink Ranger again. She had a small cut on the side of her right eye, maybe from when she hit the ground outside. He could see that her sleeves were pulled up to her elbows, displaying the many bruises on both of her arms. The thing was, some of the bruises looked older than some of the others. He could tell she received most of them that day, but the other ones he couldn't tell. Taking his eyes off of her arms, he moved up to her face again. She was so pretty. He knew he was in love with her, but could he actually tell one of his best friends that he was in love with her? That he had been in love with her since the day they met? Maybe she felt the same way…maybe she didn't. He didn't know how she felt about him. But there was one thing he did know: he was hopelessly in love with his best friend and he had no idea when and how to tell her.

WFAF

Meanwhile, Jack and Bridge were on their way to the Command Center. Both Rangers were really worried about their friend.

"What do you think happened to her Jack?" Bridge muttered. Jack looked over at his friend. Bridge looked worried, and scared actually. Jack sighed.

"I don't know Bridge… I wish I did." He told the Green Ranger. The two walked in silence the rest of the way to their destination. The two men were deep in their own thoughts, neither wanting to talk to the other. Finally reaching the Command Center, they entered and saw the Commander sitting at his desk writing something down on a piece of paper. Kat Manx was standing near one of the computers located in the room working on new weapons for the Power Rangers. She looked up and saw that Jack and Bridge had entered the room. "Did you guys need something?" She asked making her way over to them.

"Well, yeah. Syd's back." Bridge told them. He heard Cruger growl a little under his breath. "Sir! It's not a good thing. She got hurt somehow. Her mom drove her here and she's hurt pretty bad." Immediately, Cruger stood up.

"What happened to her?" Cruger asked. The Rangers could tell the Commander was concerned about the Pink Ranger.

"We're not exactly sure Sir. Her mom didn't tell us anything. But Syd was unconscious by the time we got to her and Sky is bringing her to the infirmary now." Jack told him.

Kat looked over at Commander Cruger and she could tell he was worried about Sydney. She saw him get up from his chair and walk out of the door. He was headed to the infirmary and she thought she might be needed also, so she quickly made her way out of the big room she was currently in. She turned around to face both of the men. "Aren't you coming?"

Jack and Bridge hurriedly made their way out of the room following the doctor.

WFAF

Sky looked up just in time to see the door to the infirmary wide open right in front of him. He had been too lost in his thoughts to even know if he was close to arriving. Walking into the white room, he looked around for the doctor that was currently stationed at that particular office. Dr. Felix was standing at the counter on the other side of the room looking at some x-rays that had been taken the day before. A cadet had fallen and broken her arm, so the x-rays were required. Sky walked to the bed lying out in front of him and laid Sydney down on it gently. Brushing a strand of her hair out of her beautiful face, Sky saw that Dr. Felix had taken notice of their arrival.

"What happened?" The doctor asked making his way over to the two rangers. He immediately began to get out some tools of which Sky had no idea what they were used for.

"I'm not sure. We just found her like this. Her mother will know more than us and she will have some explaining to do, but can you just help Syd out right now?" Sky asked the feline doctor. Dr. Felix quickly nodded and Sky muttered a thanks before heading out the door. He needed some and answers and he needed them now.

Z was still talking to Mrs. Drew and Sky could tell the mother hadn't told Z what had happened to her daughter. "What the hell happened to her Patricia?!" Sky yelled. He had startled the woman and she began crying again. For a moment Sky felt bad about yelling at her, but the guilt was quickly replaced by anger. "Answer me!"

"I…uh….Sky…she…" Syd's mom stuttered. She took a deep breath and managed to stop crying. "I have to tell you all together, everyone at once."

Just then, Commander Cruger, Kat, Bridge, and Jack came walking up to the others that were still standing in the hallway. Looking towards Syd's mom, Cruger let out a huge sigh. "Is she alright?"

Sky looked towards Cruger, and then towards Kat. He could she her trying to decide whether she should stay with them or go in and help the doctor out. He thought that Dr. Felix could use the help, so he made Kat's decision for her. "Kat? Would you mind going in and helping Dr. Felix out? I know you want to find out what happened, but I have a feeling the doctor needs help…"

"Umm… Sure Sky. I'll go help him, but somebody has to tell me what's going on afterwards okay?" Kat replied. Walking towards the door, she turned around and at the Commander's nod, she opened the doors to the infirmary and stepped inside. As they closed, all eyes turned to Mrs. Drew. She sighed, turning and sitting down on one of the benches outside of the room. Everyone else took a seat on the floor with the exception of the Commander, who remained standing, and Sky, who also remained standing. Sky was angry. He was angry at Syd for leaving and then coming back like this, he was angry at himself for letting this happen, and he was angry at her mom for not taking her to a hospital earlier. Patricia's voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"Okay. I'll explain to you as best as I can." Taking a short break, she tried to find the right words. "I know who did this to Sydney." All of them gasped, wondering who would do such a thing. "It was…it…I can't! He said he would hurt her more. He even threatened to hurt you all…" A few stray tears fell from the mom's eyes.

"Patricia. You need to tell us everything, no matter how hard it might be. No one is going to hurt Sydney or you or any of us, okay? I just need you to tell us what you know, and I'm guessing that is a lot." Commander Cruger told the older woman. Sky admired his calm attitude in this situation.

Looking up from where she was staring at her lap, Mrs. Drew nodded. "This person has been hurting her…and me for that matter…for a long time. He did it to her a lot, but when she moved here, he stopped for a while. He said he wouldn't do it again. But he did, and he kept on doing it." She paused to look at Sky, who had a look of shock on his face. She knew he had figured out who was doing this to the love of his life. "The person who's been doing this to Syd is…was…my husband. Her father." She could hear mumbling coming from most of the people in the hall with her, but the only person she cared knowing how he reacted was Sky. He was sitting there, staring straight ahead at the blank wall, not looking at anyone or talking or anything. She was worried about him.

Hearing someone clear their throat, she looked back at the group sitting in front of her. Then, Jack spoke up. "So you let him do this to her? For all of this time?" He sounded angry, and from the looks of it, he was.

"Jack, he told me he would kill her! Or any of you! He didn't make her come you know! She didn't have to! But when he told her that he would be able to hurt you all, she couldn't risk that… She's got the biggest heart… I just wish none of this ever happened to her….ever…" Patricia let a few tears fall down her cheeks before she wiped them away with her fingers.

Suddenly, the Rangers, Cruger, and Patricia all heard what sounded like a bang. Quickly looking to her right, she saw Sky standing next to the wall, which now had a small hole indented in its outside. He took one look at them, then turned and started running down the corridor. Standing up, Mrs. Drew yelled, "Sky!" But her was already around the corner and headed to the front doors…


	8. Chapter 8

_Author's Note: I'm so sorry I couldn't get this up sooner! I've just been really busy lately. But this chapter should make up for it. =D The next one should be up next week, though I can't promise anything. Review! Please and thank you!_

_Pinkranger888_

* * *

Sky Tate was mad, and you wouldn't like it when he was mad. Actually, mad was an understatement. He was furious. _I'm gonna kill him! _Sky thought. It all made sense now. Why Syd always hid stuff from him and the rest of the team, why she was always wearing pants and long sleeves, why she was so hurt when Jack grabbed her, and why fighting hurt her body so much. _It was so obvious. How could I not have noticed? She's my best friend, and I let her down. I let this happen to her… I'm almost as guilty as her father is. _If she had just told him…

"Sky!"

Bringing him out of his thoughts, he stopped running. Turning around, he saw Bridge running after him. Looking back in front of him, Sky was about to take off again when Bridge yelled for a second time.

"Sky! Stop!" Bridge panted, tired from running after his blue clad friend. Bending over to try and catch his breath, he said, "Where are you going?"

Sky sighed. "Where do you think I'm going Bridge?"

Looking up, Bridge studied the Blue Ranger. He was angry, that you could tell. But Sky was also worried, and scared. "Look, doing what you wanna do won't do any good. Sure, he deserves what he's got coming, but you should worry about that later. Right now, Syd's gonna need you when she wakes up."

"What are you talking about? She has you guys too…"

"Sky… I know how you feel about Syd. We all know. Sure, you're her best friend and all, but there's more to it than that isn't there?" Bridge watched as Sky looked at the ground, then back up at him.

"I don't…I don't know Bridge." Bridge glared at him. "Okay, okay. I like her. A lot. More than liking her as a friend, but I don't know if she feels the same way… I… I love her."

Bridge smiled. He knew it! Z was going to love this when he told her. "Sky, why didn't you just tell her before? I mean, sure she might not feel the same way, but how would you ever know that if you didn't let her know how you feel about her?"

"I don't know…"

"She's going to need you man. You might as well be by her side when she wakes up." Bridge smiled at his friend. When Sky nodded, the two made their way back to the waiting area where the others were still seated. All of them looked up at him at once, but nobody said anything. Sky took a seat on the floor next to the infirmary door, just in case anything happened. Bridge went and sat down next to Z. For now, they would just have to wait to have news on their friend.

WFAF

About an hour later, Dr. Manx stepped out of the medical room to see that most of the people waiting outside were asleep. Z had her back to the wall, as did Bridge, and she had her head on his shoulder. Jack was laying on the ground right across from them fast asleep, snoring lightly. She saw the Doggie had gone to his room for the night. Looking to her left, she found that Syd's mother was laying across the bench she was sitting on earlier. Kat had to smile. They all looked at peace. Maybe she could take a picture, and that could be their Christmas card…

"Kat?"

Startled, Kat turned around to face an anxious Sky. "Sky! You scared me." He smiled a bit.

"Yeah. Sorry about that. I just was nervous to hear what you have to say…" He looked down at the floor for a second, then looked back up at the doctor. "Is…is she okay?'

Kat knew the Blue Ranger had feelings for the Pink Ranger, but it was still a matter of time before he told her. Looking at Sky, she could tell he was truly concerned for Sydney's well-being. Taking a deep breath, she continued. "She's fine Sky. Just a few broken ribs, a slight concussion, and some bruises and cuts. Other than that, she's alright."

Relieved, Sky asked his next question. "Is she awake?"

"Not yet… But she should wake up within the next couple hours." Kat smiled at how relaxed he seemed to be. As if reading his mind, she automatically said, "And yes, you can go in and see her."

"How did you… Nevermind Kat." Dr. Manx watched as Sky walked into the infirmary in front of her. Looking around at everyone else one last time, she entered right after him.

Sky walked over to the bed in which Sydney was laying in. She looked so pale… There were bandages all over her body, from her head to her arms, which was as far as he could see due to the white blanket that was covering most of her body. Taking a chair from a nearby desk, Sky sat down on Syd's right side. Taking her hand, he felt how cold her skin felt. It was never this cold. Her skin was always perfect. No blemishes or pimples, just warm, soft skin. He sat there for a while, just looking at her beautiful face, wishing he could see her bright blue eyes again. Around Sydney, Sky felt alive. He felt like he could do anything and everything. He loved her smile. He loved her laugh. He loved the way she would always try to make him feel better. He loved….her. Shaking his head, he noticed that Kat had just exited the room, probably to find Dr. Felix. Being alone with her made him feel a hundred times better. He could finally say what he needed to.

"Hey Syd. It's Sky, but of course you already knew that right?" Sighing, he continued. "I hope you wake up soon. You need to dazzle me with your beautiful blue eyes again. I would love to see them." He squeezed her hand. "I'm so sorry this happened to you Syd. I feel like I should have known, and I should have stopped it. Maybe it's my fault… I really should've realized that something was really wrong, but I just pretended that it was nothing. I shouldn't have done that. And this isn't the first time is it? Of course it isn't… All this time…" Wiping his face, he was surprised to find out that he was crying. "Now you got me crying… I would give anything to see your smile again. Please wake up Syd. We need you. The team needs you. Your mom needs you. Earth needs you." Rubbing her hand with his thumb, Sky wiped his face again. "I need you."

WFAF

An hour later, Dr. Felix entered the room to find the Blue Ranger asleep on the chair he had placed next to his friend's bed. The doctor chuckled a little. He'd never seen Sky not reading the rule book or doing work. Once in a while he'd see the boy hanging out with his team, but it wasn't often. Although, he had to admit, the young man did loosen up a little since they became Power Rangers. Taking Sydney's temperature, he looked down to see his hand holding his teammates. Dr. Felix looked at the thermometer and was satisfied with what it said. After that, he left the room, leaving the two Rangers alone once again.

WFAF

About twenty minutes later, a certain Pink Ranger's eyes opened. She looked around, wondering where she was. Everything was white. Was she in Heaven? Of course not! Looking to her right, she now noticed the figure asleep on the chair, and how he was holding her hand. He looked tired. She squeezed his hand as hard as she could, which wasn't very hard. He moved a little, then slowly opened his eyes. At first, it seemed like he didn't know where he was, but then he looked at her and smile took over his face.

"Syd?" He asked.

"Who else would it be?" Sydney was surprised at how raspy and low her voice came out. It wasn't her usual high pitched, bubbly voice. Pausing her thinking, she coughed.

Sky was immediately right by her side pushing a stray lock of her blonde hair out of her face. "I'm glad you're awake. And I'm glad you're okay…"

"You were worried about me? Wait. What all do you know?"

He hated how she sounded. He could hardly hear her. "I know everything Sydney. Everything. And of course I was worried about you. You're my best friend." As she looked away from him, he reached over and put his hand under her chin, turning her head back towards him. "Hey. Listen to me. We'll talk about that later alright? Right now, I have to tell you something."

Syd gave him a puzzled look. What could he possibly have to tell her? She's the one who kept all of the secrets. "What Sky?"

Sky took a deep breath. "Syd… I… I don't know how to say this, but I'm just going to and I don't know how you'll take this…"

He was interrupted by Syd. "Just say it."

"Okay… I… I have feelings for you Syd. Not just friend feelings. I like you more than that. I guess what I'm trying to say is… I like you a lot. I think I love you." Seeing the shocked look on Syd's face, Sky realized that he did the wrong thing. "Oh God. I'm sorry. I didn't… I just… This was stupid. I know you don't feel the same way…"

"Sky…"

"No. I'm sorry... I gotta go." He quickly stood up and left the room. Sydney stared at the door, too much in shock to do anything. She had a lot to think about. She wished he'd stayed. She wished he would have listened to her. She had something to tell him too…

Sighing, Syd whispered, "I love you too Sky Tate."


	9. Interlude

**Author's note: I know I haven't updated in a while! But on my last chapter I got ONE review. Only one. I thought you guys loved me… *sniffles* But… I won't be able to update for a while. I'm moving and I won't have a computer or internet… Sorry! It's been hectic lately and I haven't had time to do anything more to this story… It won't be that long, but it'll be a little bit.**

**Thanks for understanding.**

**Oh, and if you guys could do me a favor? If you guys are reading this story and want me to continue, PLEASE tell me so by reviewing this chapter. If I don't get a couple reviews, there will be no reason in continuing this story.**

**Thanks again.**

**Review!**

**Love, **

**Pinkyy**


	10. Chapter 9

**Hiya guys! I'm so sorry for not updating in a long time. But I just recently moved and then Christmas came along and I was just so busy! Anyway, here's the next chapter! I decided to continue the story. Thanks for all the support guys! All of your reviews really made me keep going. =D**

**As for this chapter, more reviews would definately help me! So drop a review why don't you! Thanks for all the support and encouragement. I really appreciate it.**

**Here we go!**

* * *

Jack opened his eyes just as Sky exited the infirmary. At first he thought Sky had just gone in there to check on the blonde, like he'd done a couple of times before, but after he saw the look on his face, Jack decided there had to be a reason to why Sky was mumbling to himself on his way out. The Blue Ranger also looked frustrated. Maybe he had gotten in a fight with the doctor… But Jack was pretty sure that wasn't the reason. Whatever the reason was, he found himself sitting up and stretching. Looking at his watch that he always wore, he realized he'd been asleep for a while. Shaking his head, he then decided that the floor wasn't that comfortable of a bed. Jack stood up, careful not to wake anyone else, and made his way to the door that led to the infirmary. Stopping briefly outside of the door, he sighed. _Maybe she doesn't wanna see me..._ He let out a breath. Thinking positive thoughts, he pushed the door open.

Looking up from her lap, Sydney smiled a bit. "Hey Jack." She noticed how he wouldn't come close to the bed. "You know, if you wanna talk, it might be better if you were over here."

"But I don't… I mean…" He stuttered, looking over his shoulder multiple times.

"Jack…please… Come sit." Syd needed someone to talk to, even if she hadn't really talked to Jack in a while. She watched as he walked forward slowly, making his way over to her bed. Finally, he sat down in the chair that had been recently occupied by Sky.

It seemed like Jack had his eyes on everything but Sydney. "So…"

"Jack. Listen to me okay?" As he nodded, his eyes locked onto Syd's blue ones. She took a deep breath, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did…"

"Syd." _I can't believe she's apologizing to me… It should be me apologizing to her!_ Looking straight at the Pink Ranger, Jack figured out he had missed talking to her. "It isn't your fault."

"Jack-"

"No. Now you have to listen." Syd looked him in the eyes. "I'm sorry Syd. I never meant to hurt you, and I hope you know that, but what I did was wrong. I shouldn't have grabbed you like that. But I didn't know what was wrong, or how much you were hurting… Believe me; I would never do anything to hurt you Sydney. I promise. This whole time I knew something was wrong and I didn't do anything about it. Because of that, look what happened."

"You couldn't have done anything if you tried Jack, but thanks." She giggled at his confused look.

"Thanks for what?"

"Just being there for me. Being concerned about me. All of that." For the first time in a while, Jack smiled, and Syd smiled right with him. They both knew everything was going to be okay.

"Oh! I have to wake up Z and Bridge and your mom. They'll wanna know you're awake." Jack started to stand up, but Syd stopped him.

"My mom? What's she doing here?" Syd didn't think her mom actually cared about her. But what was she doing here at SPD? Once Jack gave her a 'where have you been?' look, she realized she was missing something. "Sit down and explain."

Jack obeyed, finding it a little funny that the Pink Ranger had taken charge so quick. Maybe she would be a good Red Ranger someday… Getting back to his senses, Jack started, "Your mom brought you here, to SPD. I think she drove you over from your house or something. I don't know… But anyway, she called Sky and said she was out in the parking lot and that you were hurt, so we all hurried out there. By the time we got there, you were unconscious and lying on the ground. We figured she tried to carry you in or something, but any who, we got there and Sky picked you up and took you to the infirmary, where we are now. Does that help you?"

Syd just stared in shock at the Red Ranger's face. Her mom took her to SPD? _Maybe she really does care about me…._ "Well… I guess that helps a little… So she stayed here after I was brought here?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't she?"

"After all these years, I didn't think she cared about what happened to me… I thought she just hated me like my dad does."

"Syd, your mom cares about you…very much. And she's sorry about everything that happened to you."

"How do you know that Jack?" Syd was getting very confused.

"She told us." Jack really didn't want to speak for Syd's mom, so he decided it was time to wake her and the others up from their slumbers. "Look, I'm gonna go wake them up and then she can explain anything you want okay?"

Syd sighed. She was really getting a headache from all of this talking. First Sky confessed his love for her, and then he got mad at himself and stalked out of the room, and now Jack was trying to tell her that her mom actually brought her here to SPD and told her friends that she cared about her daughter. This was turning out to be a weird day… "I guess it's okay, but I really don't feel like having any more heartfelt conversations today Jack. I'll talk to Z and Bridge and whoever else, but I really don't want to talk to my mom about anything that happened."

Jack understood where she was coming from. He could tell that the Pink Ranger was getting tired again. "Syd, I'll talk to your mom before she comes in and tell her not to bring that up okay?"

"Thanks so much Jack. I really appreciate you doing that." Sydney gave the man a small smile and held out her arms.

Jack looked surprised. "Ummm… What are you doing?"

"I want a hug and you're going to give me one."

She was really getting bossy… But Jack finally gave in and gave the blonde a hug. It felt like he needed it though, so he wasn't too embarrassed. Releasing Jack from the hug, Syd layed back down on the bed. She watched him leave the room and then closed her eyes. She was feeling pretty tired after everything. Maybe if she only closed her eyes for a minute…

WFAF

When Jack walked out of the room he was just in, he saw that Bridge was just waking up. The Green Ranger sat up and rubbed his eyes. Blinking, Bridge looked around and finally spotted Jack standing by the door. Standing up, he walked lazily over to the Red Ranger.

"Hey Jack. What's up? When did you wake up?" Bridge questioned.

"I got up a little bit ago. I saw Sky coming out of Syd's room so I went in after he left and she was awake." Jack smiled at the smile that lit up Bridge's face.

"Is she okay?"

"Yeah. I talked to her for a while, and she seemed fine. But she did get tired right before I left. I told her I was going to wake you guys up so you could talk to her."

"So you guys are talking again?" Bridge was happy with this thought. The team hadn't been the same since Jack and Sydney had gotten into the fight. He just wanted everything to go back to normal.

Jack smiled as he looked back at the door which led to the infirmary. "Yeah, everything's just fine."

Bridge went to wake Z up as Jack went to wake Patricia up. Z wouldn't wake up that easily, so it took Bridge about 5 minutes before he could tell her that Syd was awake. As soon as she heard she bolted up and smiled.

"She's awake?!" Z practically shouted. Jack shook his head and laughed. He had finally gotten Syd's mom to wake up.

"Yes Z, she's awake." Bridge sighed. He was still tired. As he yawned, he saw Jack talking to Z a little bit away from him. He saw her nod and then go and get Patricia. As Syd's mom went to stand next to Jack, Z came over to Bridge.

"What's Jack telling her?" Bridge was curious.

"Sydney said that she didn't want to talk about what happened with her mom, so Jack said he would tell Patricia not to mention anything that contributes to that. It's a good thing, really. I don't think that Syd would want to talk about anything but sleeping right now. Jack said she looked really tired when he left…" Z played with her hands for a moment. "I just wish that none of this ever happened," she whispered.

Putting his hand on Z's shoulder, Bridge said, "I know Z. I just want everything to go back to the way it was before all of this. Where the only thing we had to worry about was which monster Gruumm would send next." Jack was finally done speaking to Patricia, and the two made their way over to Z and Bridge.

"So do you guys want to see her or not?" Jack was smiling again. With nods from everyone, Z opened the door and stepped inside.

WFAF

As Sky walked out of the infirmary, he hardly noticed Jack looking at him. His mind was elsewhere.

_How could I ever tell her that? I know she doesn't feel the same way… I was just an idiot to tell her. I can't believe I did that! We're friends, nothing more. Even though I want to be… Why do I keep thinking about this?! Just concentrate on something else Sky… There hasn't been any trouble in the city for a while. I wonder what that stupid alien is up to now… I wonder if Syd… Oh crap! I'm thinking about her again. Stupid stupid stupid! I need to take a shower and clear my head. Yeah, that's what I'll do. Take a shower. Then maybe I can think without thinking about how I just confessed my love to the love of my life who obviously doesn't feel the same way about me… My life sucks._

Sky finally made his way back to his room. Entering it, he grabbed his towel off of his bed and headed for the bathroom. He had a lot to think about.


	11. Chapter 10

**Hey guys! I know it's been a while, and I'm so sorry it took me this long to update! But here's the next chapter! Thanks to all the reviewers!**

**Again, any review would be helpful. Tell me if you think I'm doing something wrong, or if you love the story. Even a "great story" would be appreciated. If you don't normally review, just take a minute to write two words down. :) I'll need at least a couple before I upload again! If you have any suggestions, tell me! I'm always open to new ideas.**

**Pinkyy**

* * *

"Jack! I thought you said she was awake." Z whispered fiercely. She had walked in the room, expecting her best friend to be awake and smiling. Instead, it looked as if she was fast asleep.

Jack, on the other hand, knew that the Pink Ranger was beyond tired, and he wasn't surprised she fell asleep so quickly. "She was, but she seemed really tired when I was in here. She needs rest guys." Looking at his friend, he could see how pale she was, and how…still. The girl was usually bubbly, fun, and she was always smiling. Nobody was used to seeing her like this, and frankly, he wished the old Syd was there.

Bridge looked at his friend lying in the bed, and he saw how beat she was. Running a hand through his hair, he sighed. The Green Ranger knew how tired she must have been, but he wished she were still awake. He wanted to talk to her. "Maybe we should leave…giver her some privacy or something…" He knew Z didn't want to leave, and neither did Syd's mom, but he really didn't want to stand there and look at what had happened to Syd because he hadn't prevented it.

"I wish she was awake… I really wanted to talk to her," Z said, disappointed.

As all three Rangers started to walk towards the door, Patricia ran ahead of them, tearing through the door before any of them were halfway there. "Whoa! What got into her?" Jack questioned.

"I don't think she wants to look at her daughter like this Jack…" Bridge guessed. Hell, Bridge didn't want to see her like this.

Starting towards the door again, none of them noticed Sydney wake up. "You know, you guys can be really loud, even when you're whispering." Syd smiled at the surprised looks on her friend's faces once they turned around.

"Syd!" Z was the first to reach the blonde, softly pulling her into a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay! I'm sorry for being so loud, I just wanted to see you and when I did you were sleeping and I wanted to talk to you…"

"Z, you're starting to sound like Bridge. Calm down!" Seeing the smile spread across the Yellow Ranger's face, Syd felt happiness tugging at her. "Speaking of Bridge, aren't you gonna say hi?"

Bridge made his way over to her, hugging her just like Z had done. "I'm happy you're awake Syd. I missed you!"

"I missed you too. All of you." After Sydney had seen her mom leave, she figured it was time to talk to her friends. They had been worried about her, she could tell. She knew her mom was worried too, but she really didn't feel like talking to her. "Have any of you seen Sky?"

Jack nodded. "I saw him leave your room earlier, and he looked kind of angry. Did you two get into a fight?"

"Maybe a little…but it doesn't matter. I'll talk to him later I guess."

"We really should tell the Commander that you're awake, in case he wants to come see you." When Syd nodded, Jack and Bridge made their way to the exit. "We'll be right back! Stay awake." When Syd smiled, he and Bridge left the room.

"Sydney." Syd looked at her friend. "I know you and Sky didn't get into a fight over nothing. Now, what did you two talk about?"

_Damn… She knows me too well…_ Syd thought. "Umm…nothing?" At Z's glare, Sydney decided it was best to just tell Z the truth. "He told me he loved me Z." The brunette's jaw dropped.

"Wh-what?"

"Yeah… He said he loved me. It surprised the hell outta me too."

"Well, how did you respond?"

"That's the thing! I didn't! He wouldn't let me say anything. He just assumed that I didn't feel the same way, and then he stormed out. Typical Sky."

"Do you feel the same way Syd?"

The Pink Ranger thought for a moment. She'd always loved Sky, but in a brother/sister sense. Now, with them being together all the time, Sydney was really starting to feel something for the man. "Yeah, I think I do." Z smiled, as did Syd, but their moment was interrupted when Jack and Bridge came back with Dr. Manx at their heels.

"Syd! It's about time you woke up." Kat smiled softly at the blonde, and her smile got even bigger when Syd smiled back.

"Yeah, I thought so too." Sydney had always loved Kat. She understood everything.

" How are you feeling honey?" Kat took out a thermometer and stuck it under Sydney's tongue.

"Okay…. My head hurts a little, but it's nothing really." Taking the thermometer out, Kat nodded in understanding.

"Anything else?"

"Well, my chest hurts. When I move, it starts throbbing."

"I see. That's perfectly normal hon. With your ribs and all, you should expect that to continue for some time. Is that all?"

"Yeah. Everything else is good I guess…" Kat saw that Syd was trying to be her upbeat self, and she saw the blonde was failing at it. The doctor couldn't really blame her. "Jack?"

"Yeah?" Jack replied.

"Could you get me some water please? My throat is really dry…"

"Sure! Hold on a sec." Jack jogged over to the fridge that the doctors kept in the office and grabbed a bottle of water out of it. He jogged back to Syd's bed and handed it to her. "Is that alright?"

Unscrewing the cap, Syd took a long gulp. When she was finished, she said "Yeah. Thanks!"

"No problem. Need anything else?" Syd shook her head, and Jack nodded.

"Guys, I think Sydney needs to rest a bit more." Kat said as she made her way to the door. Everyone nodded, said their goodbyes to Syd, and left the room. Sydney was alone with her thoughts. _You need to tell Sky that you feel the same way… You might not get another chance! Just do it…_ Sydney loved Sky, that much she knew, and she needed to let him know that. Chanced were he wasn't going to come back into the infirmary, and she needed to tell him._ If I leave, Kat will probably freak, but not if she doesn't know I left…_ Sydney really didn't feel like getting up, but her heart was telling her that she had to. Sitting up, she gasped as a wave of pain hit her. Taking a few breaths, she managed to swing her legs over the side of the bed. Grabbing the bed for support, the Pink Ranger put her feet on the floor, and stood up. She was a little wobbly at first, but eventually she let go of the bed. Walking slowly towards the door, Syd wondered if there were a lot of people out in the halls. She would probably find Sky in his room, and thankfully it wasn't that far away. Opening the door, Syd stuck her head out to see if the coast was clear. It was. She stepped out and closed the door behind her, being careful not to make too much noise. Syd walked down a couple hallways, thanking God that she hadn't ran into anybody yet. As she rounded a corner, she ran right into another person. Luckily, she hadn't fallen down. Instead, said person had run right into her chest, making her grit her teeth in pain.

"I'm so sorry!" She knew that voice. She'd heard it many times before.

"Sam… It's okay. You didn't mean to." Syd smiled when she saw the boy looking up at her.

"I was just coming down here to see if you were awake…and you are!"

"Yup. I'm awake alright."

"What're you doing out of bed? I don't think Kat approved of this." Leave it to the boy to snitch on her.

"Look, Sam, I really have to do something, and it couldn't wait. Kat doesn't know I'm out of my bed, but she can't find out, okay?"

"You know she'll find out eventually right?"

"Maybe, but you have to promise not to say anything!"

Sam sighed. What was it with girls and keeping secrets? "Fine. I won't tell."

Syd reached down and ruffled the boy's hair. "Thanks kiddo. I'll see you later okay?" When Sam nodded, Sydney took off towards Sky's room again, a very determined look in her eyes. When Syd finally made it to Sky's door, she was out of breath. Gasping, she knocked on the door. _Come on Sky… Answer!_ When he didn't come to the door, she knocked again. Finally, she heard a noise on the other side. When he opened the door, she was taken away by how handsome he was. His hair was wet, and he smelled so good….

"Syd?! What the hell are you doing here?" Opening the door a bit more, Sky looked worried more than anything.

"I needed…" Syd gasped, "to talk to you."

"You're not supposed to be out of bed!"

"Can I come in and sit? I'm really tired." When he hesitated, Syd went on. "Sky, please don't call Kat or anybody. I really need to talk to you. Please?" When her saw her blue eyes, he knew he couldn't say no. Nodding, he grabbed her arm to help her over to his bed. She felt to fragile to him, like she could be broken any second.

"What did you wanna talk about Syd? You really should be resting."

"What do you think I wanna talk about? You just stormed out earlier, and for no reason I might add! I'm so mad at you right now!"

"Is that what you wanted to tell me? That you're mad at me?"

"No…no, not at all. There's something really important that I need to tell you, and it's not east to say…" Moving too quickly, Syd let out a shriek when her chest exploded in pain. Sky was near her in a second, laying her down on his bed.

"See, this is why you should be in the infirmary!" After she was lying down, Sky began pacing, but suddenly stopped when he felt Sydney take his hand.

"Sky, there's something I have to tell you…"


	12. Chapter 11

**Hey guys! This was a quick update... ^-^ I'm so proud of myself (and you should be proud of me too!)! Here's chapter 11. I hope you like it. I know it may be a bit boring...but I thought I'd show some other characters and their thoughts. I'm pretty happy with the way this turned out. :) I hope you enjoy it! Please, please, please review! I got a couple last chapter (thanks so much to the reviewers), but come on guys! Even if you really didn't like a chap, tell me! If you have any suggestions for the story, tell me! I love getting reviews. They make my day (that shows how much of a life I have huh?? Lol.). **

**Onto the story!**

* * *

As Patricia stepped out of her daughter's temporary room, she started crying. _How could I let this happen to her?! What kind of a mother am I?_ She tried to stop him from hurting Sydney before, but whenever she did that, he would just resort to hurting her. He would threaten her, said he would kill Sydney, or her friends, and Patricia knew that he had the power to do that. Her husband knew many people, and those people would do whatever the heck he wanted, whenever he wanted. If he wanted to have someone killed, he could do it without breaking a sweat. Why had she ever married him? Of course, he wasn't always like this. It started when Syd had joined SPD. At first, he drank a couple of beers a day, but soon that grew into glass after glass of brandy, or vodka, or whatever they had in the house that day. She loved her husband, she did, she just hated what he had become. Remembering the first time he had hit her daughter, Patricia continued walking towards the front of the building.

*Flashback*

"_Sydney just called. She said she's coming to visit!" Patricia shouted from the bedroom her and her husband shared. She had just woken up and stepped in the shower when the phone rang. Knowing that her husband was probably too hung-over to get the phone, she got out of the shower, wrapped a towel around herself, and picked up the cordless from the charger. Sydney had been on the other, telling her that she had a day off and wanted to come by. Patricia loved seeing her little girl, so she was looking forward to seeing her. Syd said that she would be leaving the SPD base in half an hour, so her mother knew that she had time to take her shower and get dressed. Listening from the bathroom, she heard her husband groan and roll over in the bed._

"_Great… Just what I needed today." Sydney's father, John, said from the bed. Sitting up, he felt a major headache coming on. "I need a drink…" he murmured to himself. He stood up and made his way to the kitchen downstairs._

_An hour later, Patricia Drew was sitting downstairs, waiting for her daughter to arrive, while John Drew was in the kitchen, mixing himself another drink. Thankfully he got cleaned up and put some normal clothes on. Looking out the window, Mrs. Drew saw that Syd had just drove up. "She's here." Hearing her husband grumble in response, Pat ran to the door and flung it open. "Syd!" Her blonde haired daughter looked just as gorgeous as she normally did, if not more. Sydney ran to her mother and pulled her in for a hug. "I'm so glad you're here!"_

_Syd smiled and said, "I'm so happy I decided to come! My friends invited me out to lunch, but I told them I just wanted to see my parents." Walking inside of the house, Sydney looked around. Nothing had changed. "Where's Dad?"_

_Pat's smiled faded. "He's in the kitchen. Sydney… You're father's been drinking a bit."_

"_Already? It's only morning…"_

"_I know, I know…but he's been doing it a lot lately sweetie. He's missed you."_

"_Oh. Then I guess I should go see him." Syd walked into the kitchen and spotted her father standing beside the counter, glass in hand, looking down at the ground. "Dad?"_

_Looking up, John saw his daughter. "Sydney… It's good to see you." Smiling, he went over and hugged his little princess, being careful not to spill his drink. "You haven't been home in a while…"_

"_I know Dad, but I've been so busy at SPD! I've been hanging out with Sky, of course, and my new friend Bridge. He's kinda weird, but really funny! And…" Sydney realized that her dad wasn't listening to her anymore, so she just stopped talking altogether._

"_You could've called more!" Her father's voice made Syd jump back. Why was he so mad? _

"_I know. I 'm sorry, really, but like I said-"_

"_I don't want to hear it! You've forgotten about us huh?? Your own parents!" He slammed his glass down on the counter and took a step towards the now scared Sydney._

"_I-I'm sorry…"_

"_No! I'll show you how sorry you should be!" With that, John raised his hand and slapped Syd across the face, causing her to lose her balance and fall to the floor. Seeing what he did, he realized that it felt…good. He grinned wickedly. Sydney, on the other hand, was taken by surprise at her father's action. She never thought he would hit her. Ever. Standing up, Syd kept one hand on the side of her face where his hand had connected, and as soon as she stood up, she ran into the next room, where her mom was fixing her necklace._

"_Sydney! What happened baby?" Patricia had never Syd looked this scared, and it looked as though she was close to crying. When her daughter ran into her, she pulled her into a crushing hug. "What happened?"_

"_He hit me! Dad hit me! I didn't do anything!" Sydney was crying now, and she was still in her mother's embrace. Pat was shocked at the news. John had never, ever hit their kid. He would never do that, but this wasn't John. The real John wouldn't drink this much, or harm his family. Because Pat was facing the kitchen entrance, she saw when her husband came towards her and her daughter. _

"_Stay away!" Patricia warned. He only laughed. The man actually laughed. Sydney and her mom didn't have enough time to get away, and he was on them in a second. He pulled Syd out of her mom's arms and threw her to the floor. Syd's head connected with the hardwood, and for a second she blacked out. Shaking her head, the girl thought it would be best if she just stayed down._

"_Don't you ever tell anyone about this, you hear me?!" He yelled while pulling the blonde to her feet. Turning her around so that she was facing him, he looked her straight in the eyes. "If you tell anyone about this, I'll make sure those friends of yours don't live to see another day. Do you understand girl?" At Sydney's nod, he slapped her across the face again. "I asked you a question, and you'll answer me damnit!"_

"_Y-yes sir." Sydney was petrified._

"_And from now on, when I call you, you are to come here immediately, got it?"_

"_Yes sir."_

"_Good. Now get the hell outta my face before I beat the hell outta you…" He let go of Sydney, and she automatically ran for the door._

_While all this was going on, Patricia stayed back. She was too shocked; too scared to interrupt him, even though she knew he was hurting her daughter. She was weak. Now that she and her husband were alone, she knew he wouldn't hesitate to hurt her as well. If she listened to him and did whatever he said, maybe he wouldn't do anything…_

"_You! If you say anything about this, I'll kill that little girl of ours, do you hear me? I will! Now, say you won't tell anybody." He took a step toward her, and she took a step back. "Say it!"_

"_I won't tell anybody."_

As Patricia walked the hallways of the SPD base, she realized that she should've stopped this before it even began. Right now, she couldn't face Syd, not like this. Not after she had let her down, time and time again. She just couldn't.

As Kat walked back into the Command Center, her thoughts were focused on the Pink Ranger. She knew that Sydney was trying to be her normal self, but she needed to let the girl know that she didn't need to be, that it was okay to not be bubbly and happy right now. The doctor sighed. Syd had always been like a daughter to her. Of course, she couldn't be her real daughter, but Kat had always felt a connection with her. She wished that Syd had come to her with this secret, or that Syd had gone to anyone with her secret. The feline also knew that all of the Rangers were blaming themselves, even though they couldn't have done anything to prevent it.

"Kat?" At the Commander's voice, the woman jumped. Looking up from her feet, she saw that the man was just a few feet away, eyeing her with concern.

"Yes?" She replied.

"Are you alright?"

"Of course. I'm just thinking about Syd…"

"How is she? Is she feeling alright?" Kat smiled at the concern the big dog had for his cadet. She knew he had a soft spot for the blonde.

"She's…okay. She told me her head was hurting, along with her chest, but that's normal, considering her injuries. I took her temperature and she doesn't have a fever, so that's a good sign. I made the other Rangers leave so that she could get some rest." When she saw relief in his eyes, her smiled returned a bit.

"Good, good. I should probably go see her…"

"Wait until she wakes up. I really want her to get some more sleep. The girl's exhausted." When he nodded in response, Kat walked over to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Everything's going to be okay…eventually."

"I know." He sighed. "But I just wish this never happened Kat. Syd's hurt, and the others are blaming themselves." Kat chuckled. She had just thought the same thing. "I don't know how I didn't notice that something was wrong…"

"Stop!" The Commander was surprised by the authority in Kat's voice. "You're doing what the other Rangers are doing. You couldn't have known. Sydney didn't want anyone to know, and she did a good job of hiding it from us. Stop blaming yourself. It doesn't help the situation. The only thing that will help right now is making sure that Sydney's father gets what he deserves. I'll make sure that happens if it's the last thing I do." The determination in the doctor's voice made Cruger proud. He knew that Kat had always liked Syd, and he knew that she had meant everything he said. Heck, he was going to make sure that Syd's dad got what he deserved too. He owed that much to his Pink Ranger.

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**You know you want to press that cool looking button! :)**

**Three, two, one... Press it!**

**_Lina._**


	13. Chapter 12

_So, I know it's been forever since I last uploaded, but I moved again, and started another new school... Anyway, this chap is short and sweet, and I hope you enjoy it. :) Please review so I know how many people are still following this story._

_Lina._

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"Sky, there's something I have to tell you…"

Looking down at Sydney, he noticed how her blue eyes sparkled in the light, how her hair carefully framed her beautiful face… God, she was amazing. "Listen Syd, about what I said before…" He was cut off by her pulling him down towards her body, his mind wondering what the heck she was doing.

"Shh… No more talking." Syd said, pulling Sky's face closer to hers until they were only inches apart. She could feel his breath on her skin, making it tingle. In one quick second, she brought her mouth up to his and the two embraced in a soft kiss, their earlier thoughts forgotten. As the kiss deepened, Sky knew that he would never leave her side again, that he would always be there for her, and that she felt the same way he did about her. When they broke apart, Syd whispered into his ear, "I love you Sky. I always have and I always will." Once again, their lips met, and Sky decided that this was the best moment of his life.

WFAF

Sam was wandering the hallways, trying to decide on what to do. He had already tried to watch a movie in the lounge, but that got boring. Then he tried finding the Rangers, but that search didn't turn out so well… Now he was headed towards the Command Center to see if Boom was there, or maybe see if Kat wanted to do something. Just as he entered the room, he was overrun by Jack, who was obviously in a hurry to reach Kat or the Commander.

"Kat!" Jack yelled.

Turning around from the monitor she was watching, Kat frowned. "What is it Jack?"

Catching his breath, Jack continued, "It's Syd. She's not in the infirmary."

"What?"

"You heard me. I decided to go check up on her, see if she needed anything. When I got there, I saw that she wasn't in her bed, so I thought she went to the bathroom, but it was empty. I don't know where she is…"

"Where would she go?" Kat asked, looking at Cruger.

"I'm not sure Kat, but we need to find her and get her back to the infirmary immediately." Cruger said, getting up from his chair. While the Commander was making his way towards the exit, Sam knew he had to speak up. He knew he had told Sydney he wouldn't tell on her, but everyone was worried, and he knew she would forgive him.

"Kat? Commander?" Sam said.

Startled, Kat realized that Sam was in the room, and she was surprised she hadn't noticed before. "Yes Sam? Is something wrong? We kind of have something important to do right now…"

"I saw Syd leave the infirmary." Seeing that he now held all the attention, he continued, "I ran into her in the hallway. I don't know where she was going, but she told me not to tell you…which didn't really work out. But anyway, that's what happened."

"She didn't say where she was going?" Jack asked the kid.

"Nope."

"Could you show us where you ran into her?"

"Sure! Follow me."

They did as they were told, following the young boy through the hallways of the Base, through all the twists and turns, bends and doorways, until the finally stopped a little ways from where Syd was last seen.

"This is where I ran into her. She went that way." Sam said while pointing straight ahead. All of a sudden, a frantic Z and Bridge ran up to the group of four.

"Did you find her?" Z asked quickly.

"Sam ran into her right here, after she left…" Kat informed the Yellow Ranger.

"Why would she go this way?" Bridge questioned, walking back and forth, trying to come up with a solution.

A light bulb suddenly lit in Z's head… She knew why Syd had gone this way. Her best friend had told her that Sky had confessed his love for her earlier, and then said she felt the same. Z smiled. She loved being right. While the others were still trying to make sense of the whole scenario, Z made her way to Sky's room, not knowing what she would find.

WFAF

In the Blue Ranger's room, things were peaceful, and the two people lying next to each other on the bed had no idea of the goings on outside of the room. Sky sighed contentedly. This was perfect. Sydney was lying next to him, her head on his chest, alone with her hand resting on his stomach. She was sleeping. Sky listened to each and every one of her breaths, not wanting to miss a single one. He was quietly stroking her blonde curls with his right hand, not wanting to disturb her. He thought about the first time he had ever laid eyes on her. He knew she was the one, even if they were only seven when they met. He remembered the smile she had given him when he had entered her house, he remembered the first time they had spoken to one another, the fist time he had slept over, the first time he held her hand… This was where Sky Tate wanted to be, for the rest of his life.

A knock at the door suddenly pulled him from his thoughts. _Shoot… Please don't wake Syd up…_ Sky thought.

"You better get that." Startled, Sky looked down at the person in his arms. She wasn't sleeping anymore, she was smiling up at him.

Getting up, Sky said, "I wanted you to sleep for a while…"

"I did."

Smiling, he walked over to his door, opened it, only to be met with a very happy looking Z Delgado. "Oh! I so knew I would find you here! I was right!" Z had entered his room and made her way over to Syd, who was now sitting up on his bed. Laughing, Sydney was telling Z how she had told Sky she loved him, and about everything else. This little piece of news was going to travel fast.

"Everyone's looking for you! Sam said he ran into you in the hallway, and I knew that this was where you were going… Kat's worried." Z told her friend.

"Shoot. I guess I should get back then…" Sydney started to get up, but let out a hiss of pain as she started to stand. Sky immediately made his way over to his girlfriend, helping her stand up, and quickly scooped her up in his arms. "Now, I could get used to this!" Sky laughed, as did Syd. Z just smiled as she looked on, happy for both of her friends. Once they were out the door, Z looked around for a second, then followed them.

"Now, if only I could get Boom and that girl from C-Squad together…"


	14. Chapter 13

DON'T KILL ME! I know, I know. I haven't updated in like a million years. There really is no excuse. I got writer's block, I spaced on this story, I had a lot going on, blah blah blah. I'm so sorry guys. I hope you all don't hate me, but I understand if you're upset. Here's a new chapter, and I hope to update this story way more often then I have been. I'm not sure what to think of this chapter. It's been so long... Ugh. I don't know. I need to get back into the groove. Also, I need advice. What should happen next? Review with what you think. Review if you don't have any advice. I hope people are still following this story. Sorry again. Read on!

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Once Sky gently lowered Sydney into the hospital bed, Kat entered the room. Looking at the two cadets before her, she knew there was really no reason to be mad at them. Even Kat had noticed that the two had feelings for each other. Neither of them had noticed her entrance yet, so she cleared her throat to make them aware.

Sky quickly turned around. "Kat."

"Hello Sky. I see you brought our patient back to her bed." At that, Syd blushed and lowered her eyes into her lap. Kat gave a tiny smile. "I hope this won't happen again?" When Sky and Syd nodded, Kat nodded back at them. "Oh, Sydney, I ran into your mother in the hallway and she would like to see you. Should I send her in?"

The girl looked hesitant, but nodded anyway. Kat turned and exited the room while Sky was sitting down next to Syd's bed, talking quietly to her. "Patricia?" The woman locked eyes with Kat as she heard her name. "She said she'd see you now."

"Thank you," replied the older woman. She hesitantly walked over to the door, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, and entered the infirmary.

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"Do you want me in the room with you while you talk to her?" Sky asked Syd, expecting the girl to say yes.

"No. I can talk to her alone. I need to." Her tone of voice sounded strong, ready to face anything. "I should probably just get it over with. The longer I postpone it, the longer it'll be in my mind. She's my mom." Sky nodded. As this happened, the door behind him opened and he turned to see Patricia Drew standing in the doorway, looking nervous and a little scared. Looking into the Pink Ranger's eyes and giving her hand a squeeze, the man left the infirmary, leaving mother and daughter to talk amongst themselves.

For a couple seconds, the room was quiet. Neither woman said a thing, both looking uncomfortable. Deciding the silence needed to be broken, Sydney uttered a measly, "Hi mom."

All of a sudden, Mrs. Drew broke down in tears, making her way over to her daughter's bed. She took a seat on the chair that had been previously occupied by Sky Tate. "Sydney, I'm so sorry. I can't… I just… I'm so sorry honey." Pausing to take a few breaths, she continued, "I never wanted any of this to happen. I didn't know what to do. I should've stopped this a long time ago." Sydney let her mother go on, not knowing what she wanted to say just yet. "You have to know that I do love you. I do. So much. I was a coward and because of that, look at what happened. I don't expect you to forgive me, and I wouldn't forgive me if I were in your position. Just know that I'm so, so sorry."

"You're right. I don't forgive you. Not yet. But you're not the only one to blame here, Mom." Her mother looked up at that comment, surprised. "I could've said something. I should've said something. I could've prevented this too…" That was the truth. Sydney knew that. Her mother, though, disagreed.

"None of this is your fault. I'm supposed to protect you. I failed. He… Your father, he's supposed to protect you too, but he's the one hurting you. We both failed as parents. You suffered the consequences. I will never be able to say how sorry I am…"

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"Patricia! Where the hell are you?" Only silence answered him. He had noticed that his daughter's car was no longer in the driveway, but that didn't explain why his wife was missing too. "PATRICIA!" He had come home expecting something to eat, already cooked and sitting on the table for him. He was starving. As he staggered into the kitchen, he saw that nothing had changed since he left. That meant that both girls had left not long after him. _I'm going to teach them both a lesson when I get my hands on them._ Wondering where they could be, he found himself wandering into the living room. _Where did they go?_ Even though he was as drunk as he could get, he managed to think of a place where the women might have gone. _They thought they could run away from me. I'll find them. I always will. _Opening the front door, he reached into his pocket and pulled his cell phone out. Dialing the number of a friend of his, he put the phone up to his ear while getting into his car. The person on the other end of the line picked up, "Brett? It's John. I need… I need directions to the SPD base. Now."

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Review!

Lina.


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